Rarely, if ever, does a trainer dominate a stakes race the way Bob Baffert has ruled the Del Mar Futurity the past 23 years.

Starting with Silver Charm, his first Kentucky Derby winner in 1996, Baffert has won the Grade I event a record 14 times after Game Winner rallied in the stretch Monday to post a 1-1/2-length victory in the 71st edition of the race as Del Mar closed its 79th summer season.

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Sent postward as the 8-5 second choice behind stablemate Roadster (3-5), Game Winner was fourth much of the way up the backstretch, moved into third outside of Rowayton and Roadster on the turn for home and outraced his two rivals.

Jockey Drayden Van Dyke opened a 4 1/2-length lead up the backside aboard Rowayton while carving out fractions of 22.53 and 45.35 before faltering late and holding second by a half-length over Roadster.

Final time for the 7 furlongs was 1:23.18, considerably faster than what Bellafina clocked (1:25.51) in the Del Mar Debutante for juvenile fillies on Saturday.

Mario Gutierrez, who seldom rides for Baffert, got the call on the son of Candy Ride after East Coast-based Joel Rosario had ridden the colt to a 5-3/4-length victory in his career debut at Del Mar on Aug. 18. He was so good that afternoon that Baffert decided to bring him back just 16 days later.

“(Baffert) told me, ‘You know how to ride good horses. Go ahead and ride him like you can,’” said Gutierrez, who has won the Kentucky Derby aboard I’ll Have Another (2012) and Nyquist (2016). “He said he wanted me to give him a little help out of the gate, then he said he thought he’d be strong for the finish.

“He was so right. I’m so happy for this opportunity. I’m so happy this worked out this way.”

Baffert, who won the Del Mar Futurity seven consecutive years at one point (1996-2002), was a bit concerned when Rowayton opened up the big lead early.

“Going down the backside, that other horse (Rowayton) was way out there and sometimes if you get out there like that you can steal a race,” he said. “I just hoped my guys knew they were in good spots. I knew they’d have to sprint home.”

Sprint home they did, with Game Winner displaying supremacy over his stablemate. Just like he did with Triple Crown winner Justify, Baffert removed the blinkers on Game Winner in his second start and the move paid off handsomely

Mike Smith, who rode Roadster, was at a loss to explain his colt’s performance.

“I don’t know what to say,” he said. “I’m at a loss for words. I thought he’d run a whole lot better.”

Oddly, though Smith’s won about every big race there is, he’s never won the Del Mar Futurity.

Baffert said he was not hesitant to run Game Winner despite the short time between races.

“I knew coming in that (Game Winner) was coming back a little quick, but he’s a big, strong heavy horse and I knew he could handle it,” he said. “I’d rather run him again than keep working him.”

The Hall of Fame trainer, who hass won five Kentucky Derbies, was disappointed by Roadster’s effort.

“But it was only his second outing and sometimes the second out when you break their maidens they can get a little flat on you,” he said.

That wasn’t the case for Game Winner, owned by Gary and Mary West. The $110,000 yearling purchase picked up the winner’s share of $180,000 from the $300,000 purse to pad his career earnings to $216,000.

Rowayton, who carried the hopes of the Jerry Hollendorfer barn after Hollendorfer decided to skip the Futurity and wait for the American Pharoah Stakes (formerly the FrontRunner) on Sept. 29 at Santa Anita, ran well but was no match for the winner’s late charge.

“That was the plan, to just go for it,” Van Dyke said of his front-running tactics. “He did and he ran good. He fought me on changing leads once more, he fought me on the right (lead). But he’ll learn. He’ll get better.”